The 1970s were a whirlwind of groove and social changes. People from this decade witnessed many remarkable events, such as the gay liberation movement victories, the election of the first female Prime Minister in the U.K., and the rise of disco.
Alongside these successes, they were also a part of some unfortunate incidents like the Vietnam War, the Oil Crisis, and the loss of many icons like Elvis Presley, Coco Chanel, and Pablo Picasso.
The decade was an era like no other, and luckily the subreddit “The 70s are back!” has collected many images to preserve it. For Gen Z, they may already be mere relics from the past, but these images can reveal a lot about what was happening at the time. Let’s take a nostalgic journey by scrolling through the list and immersing ourselves in the spirit of the ‘70s.
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Early ‘70s / Early 70’s, Cheers
I love this. Seriously, I'm so in love with love. Look at them. They both found their Person. <3
Ahhh Always Best In The Tin
If You Ever Used One Of These Perpetual Towel Contraptions To Dry Your Hands In The 1970s You’re Probably Immune To All Forms Of Viruses And Diseases Now
Things got pretty weird in the 1970s, especially in the US, mostly because it came after the youth and change-driven 1960s and the incoming flashy styles of disco and punk. Even though people yearned for new social possibilities, they were faced with political division (Roe v. Wade, the Watergate scandal), hostility (wars in Asia), and rejection. As they started to lose hope of reuniting as a society with a common interest in goals, many focused on issues of subgroups they belonged to based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and religion.
I Can Smell This Picture- When We Got Bored With Our Cap Guns We Started Bashing The Whole Rolls With A Hammer! Fun Times In The 1970s!
Smallpox Vaccination Scar ! Who Has One?
Yup. We travelled a LOT (parents in a band) in the '60s and '70s. I had a vax record literally an arm long before I was 20.
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I could still see my small pox vaccine scar until a few years ago. I remember that the mechanism used looked like something from outer space to me as a kid like some kind of future device in Star Trek
I of course got this as a kid (born in 1957), I think even maybe as baby, but I have no memory of it and no scar.
Born in 1956 and I don't remember even having a scar!!
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I used to have a yellow certificate rubber banded into my passport, as you need them for travel.
...And yet, people complained about vaccine passports as if they were something new and outlandish (I still have my mom's from a trip to Europe in 1959...and I have a smallpox vaccination scar).
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Omg, yes. I think, mine lasted for decades. Seriously. Every time I would wear sleeveless tops, I always get asked where and how I got the scar on my left upper arm.
Unfortunately that would not have protected you from smallpox.
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wait that needle looks really big - no wonder the scar looked like that
My mom got them to give me this on the sole of my foot so I can wear sleeveless.
Have two, the first was a fairly large and a bit deep, had a second one, same thing happened. Matching on each arm scars
My sister has one, but I don't. Either they stopped giving them between the time she got hers and I was ready for mine, or my parents didn't bother, which was just as possible.
I know they stopped sometime between 1968 and 1972 because my sister born in 68 has one and I was born in 72 and I do not.
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Small pox scar was because you already had some antibodies against it. Very common in early days because virus was endemic
But without the scar, how will Claire know if you're a time traveler?
Better than scarring from smallpox, or worse. For some reason unknown to me, mine is on the sole of my right foot.
Parents could request it be on the sole where it wasn't visible. Could have also been the person administering the vaccines preferred spot.
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Born in 1957, went to France in 1964 so I had a ton of vaccines but no smallpox scar so I'm still wondering if It "took."
I don't have the scar, which made me the odd one out in my age group. They attempted to vaccinate me 3 times and none of them "took". Nobody could figure out why
My late Dad had a quarter sized vaccination mark on his left shoulder. He was vaccinated when he was 4 years old when he and his parents and siblings came to Canada from Hungary.
Still required for certain types of travel especially if you are military.
My pediatrician didn't want girls to have scars on their arms, so he vaccinated on the chest. My scar is neatly tucked under my boob, must where the bra goes. My high school friend had one just like it. How did he know?!
Mine disappeared after 60 years, though I remember it vividly -- and thrilled I don't remember getting it! 😅
Mine is on my left shoulder. Mom's shot on her left arm scarred badly and she wanted to spare me.
These vaccines predated the 70s, as do most of the numbers depicted in this post.
I still have mine though it's faded a bit. My husband's looks like he just got it.
The first two shots didn't take, so I have a third one on my thigh that left a scar. Every first grader in my town had smallpox shots.
It's weird to think that someday no one on earth will have the scar.
This one I have. In early childhood and primary school, I had all the required vaccinations. Darn, those hurt. And the nurses always said it wouldn't hurt a bit. Left me with a trauma
I'm 23 and I have a vaccine scar, not sure which one though. Think I was 6-7 when I got it.
This is more a 40s/early 50s thing. I was born in 1961, I don't have one.
My pediatrician gave me the shot on my side - not on my arm. He told my Mother I was too pretty to have that horrible scar.
so this isnt necessarilly relegated to the 70's. Ive been active duty for over 20 yrs small pox, anthrax and one other leave these scars
The early smallpox one did. It wasn't just an injection like today. Look at the picture. Although you can't see it, I believe it was multiple needles all at once (or, and I could be wrong, but I believe I heard some were a series of large needle pricks - although that may very well be a different vaccine or injection I am thinking of).
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Only vaccine I didn't get as a child. Think my Dad squashed that. Not sure & didn't realize it until I was an adult. Born in 1954
I am born in 1970 and don't have one. IIRC, they stopped giving them in NYC (where I was born) in 1969.
Yes, but us kids grew up during the 70s (Born in 1968)
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During this period, many American citizens witnessed indigenous people seeking to maintain their culture and improve their quality of life. For decades, they were living in poverty and discrimination. In the '70s, the average life expectancy for a Native American person was 46 years, compared to the national average of 69. Half of them lived on reservations, where employment reached 50%. After many struggles and protests, the US government restored millions of acres of tribal lands and increased funding for Native American education, healthcare, and housing.
Silly Putty ! Remember Copying The Funny Pages From The News Paper?
Only The Lucky Kids Got These In The Anonymous Christmas Gift Exchange In School
Live From N.y. 1976
The drive for gay and lesbian rights intensified as well. The activists called for any homosexual individuals to come out and reveal their orientation. Therefore, gay communities moved from the underground to the political sphere. They strongly protested against the American Psychiatric Association, which categorized homosexuality as a mental illness. This “diagnosis” often resulted in job loss, loss of custody, and other serious consequences for the LGBT community. By 1974, it was no longer considered a mental illness. The same year, Kathy Kozachenko became the first openly lesbian woman to run for office in Michigan.
If You Know, You Know. This Guy Was Sort Of Like The Steve Irwin Of The '70s
I Now Realize Everyone Was Drunk On This Show
😂😂😂 The host Gene Rayburn was also on To Tell The Truth.
Who Else Loved Underdog And His Villains?
Oh where oh where can my Underdog be oh where oh where can he be...
Women's liberation also continued in the 1970s. Feminists opened women’s shelters, successfully fought for protection from employment discrimination for pregnant ladies, reformed sexual assault laws, and funded schools that opposed sexist stereotypes. In 1973, the US Supreme Court, in Roe v. Wade, put in place several laws that made abortions during the first three months legal. This meant that women could seek help nationwide without needing to prove that the pregnancy was a danger to their health or that it was the result of a reported assault.
Remember When Dairy Queen Was A Takeout Stand? (1970s-80s)
Pizza Day Was The Best Day Of The Week In Elementary School In The 70s
My Dream Car And Bike When I Was 10
Growing up in the ‘70s amongst all of this was undeniably different from today. With the hippie movement in full swing and more women acquiring jobs, parents usually employed a “hands-off” approach when raising their children. Unsupervised play was still a thing, children of this era remember being told, “Be home when the street lights come on” or “Whose house are you going to, and when will you be back?” Kids between the ages of 5 and 13 would take care of themselves with no adult supervision before and after school on a regular basis.
Moon Boots. If You Lived In A Cold Climate, You Wore Them
With bread bags over your feet so your socks did not end up soaking wet if the snow was slushy.
What Were You Chewing Back In The Day?
Fruit Stripe Gum!! Does anybody remember how to create chains from the chewing gum wrappers? My older brother had a friend who actually used the gum wrapper chains for curtain dividers and he showed me how to make the chains.
I’m Feeling Really Dizzy And My Cheeks Hurt Real Bad
I remember that if you inadvertently got any of this on wooden furniture it would remove any varnish it made contact with.
One thing adding to the not-so-strict parenting was the lack of communication devices. There weren’t cell phones or smart watches back then. Getting hold of your child meant calling up your neighbors. Children would usually stay out all day, and if they needed to get in contact, they could use a payphone (ancient, we know). They got around without cell phones by making a plan days in advance and sticking to it. It’s hard to imagine doing all this planning just to go to a bowling alley with a friend after school. Nowadays, with nearly everyone having cell phones, we can make arrangements and know where someone is in an instant.
Lincoln Logs Arrived At The Thrift Store Today. Imagine How Long They've Been In Someone's Closet
Who Else Loved Watching, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, In 1974 & 1975 ?
Every single episode! 😍 It was being re-aired recently on Comet I think.
Spencer Gifts ! My Friends And I Would Head Straight To The Poster Rack
Some things that no longer exist in our current world but were useful in the ‘70s were services like milkmen, diaper changers, and television repairmen. Many people had metal boxes on their front porches, and the milkmen would pick up the empty glass bottles and leave milk on their doorstep. You could also leave a dirty bag of cloth diapers for someone to collect, and they would replace them with a stack of new ones. And if the TV broke, you would pay someone who came to your house in a van filled with parts and fixed it in your home. How ‘70s is that?
Pop Some Boston Into The Cassette Deck And Let's Cruise
Mom Thought She Was Doing Good
I Think These Were Created To Give 70's Children Nightmares
Also, let's not forget that reading paper maps and looking for distinctive landmarks were the only ways to travel successfully. Watching your favorite television shows in the 1970s was like making an appointment. Recording devices didn’t exist yet, so if you missed a show, better luck next time! Even thinking about it sends shivers down your spine. Additionally, at the time, the nationwide highway speed limit was 55 miles per hour in the US (now it rarely ever goes below 65).
Me And My Little Brother. Halloween - 1973
You Are From The 70's. If You Remember The Soda Machines With The Cup And Crushed Ice Dispenser
Long John Silver’s In The Late 1970s Was Something Special
The era of the 1970s was multifaceted in many ways. From social and cultural changes to daily life without cellphones or GPS, it was a mix of challenges and significant achievements that left a lasting effect on the decades ahead. Reflecting on this period, we have to ask, dear Pandas, do you recall something from the ‘70s that no longer exists or was peculiar even to this decade?
Remember “Wacky Packages” Trading Cards From Topps? (1967-77)
So I Have An Awesome 70s Smoking Room. Tell Me What U Think
Barefoot Gas Pedal, Hurst Shifter, And Boston
If You Didn't Take Him Up On The Roof, You Didn't Truly "Live" The 70s
Members Of A Cult Or A Flower Selling Cartel?
Am I The Only One That Had One Of These?
Who Remembers Digital Derby?
Note: this post originally had 37 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
Bored Panda needs to publish a whole lot more of these kind of lists and a whole lot less of Am I The A.......
Yeah, I think this list is strictly for the US.
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70s for me was pinball arcades, H R PufNStuf, The Banana Splits, spirograph and star wars!
H R Puff n Stuff! That kid Jimmy (Jack Wild) had a pretty tough time in real life.
Load More Replies... What? No Clackers or Lemon Twists? (I remembered the toys but had to google the names). The Clackers would sometimes explode. Fun times. : )
This was definitely a Gen X list. If you were born in the 70's you were too young to remember half this stuff!
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I was born in 1970 and 90% of these posts meant nothing to me. Maybe Danmark was very different to the US which is where I suspect most of these posts are from, or maybe I just don't remember anything from the first ten years of my life.
Yeah, most of these mean little to me growing up in the 70s in Australia......
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Nostalgia is always good but can we have a UK in the 70s or Europe in the 70s as most of these were very American centred.
Maybe I am misunderstanding but the description for this post says "Gen Z". Gen Z is people born 1996 - 2010. I was born in 1970. This list is for Generation X and maybe older Millennials.
It was kind of a lost generation. I'm was born the last year of the Boomers & beginning of Gen X, so it was an interesting point of view.
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most of these are still alive and well in the rural parts of the midwest
We still had most of these things in the 90s (i was born in 1983, so that was my heyday, and I remember most) and some we still have today (walkup DQ, Long John Silver, Arthur Treacher's). Fun list though, I feel sorry for the kids these days - it's all screens.
Bored Panda needs to publish a whole lot more of these kind of lists and a whole lot less of Am I The A.......
Yeah, I think this list is strictly for the US.
Load More Replies... 70s for me was pinball arcades, H R PufNStuf, The Banana Splits, spirograph and star wars!
H R Puff n Stuff! That kid Jimmy (Jack Wild) had a pretty tough time in real life.
Load More Replies... What? No Clackers or Lemon Twists? (I remembered the toys but had to google the names). The Clackers would sometimes explode. Fun times. : )
This was definitely a Gen X list. If you were born in the 70's you were too young to remember half this stuff!
Load More Replies... I was born in 1970 and 90% of these posts meant nothing to me. Maybe Danmark was very different to the US which is where I suspect most of these posts are from, or maybe I just don't remember anything from the first ten years of my life.
Yeah, most of these mean little to me growing up in the 70s in Australia......
Load More Replies... Nostalgia is always good but can we have a UK in the 70s or Europe in the 70s as most of these were very American centred.
Maybe I am misunderstanding but the description for this post says "Gen Z". Gen Z is people born 1996 - 2010. I was born in 1970. This list is for Generation X and maybe older Millennials.
It was kind of a lost generation. I'm was born the last year of the Boomers & beginning of Gen X, so it was an interesting point of view.
Load More Replies... most of these are still alive and well in the rural parts of the midwest
We still had most of these things in the 90s (i was born in 1983, so that was my heyday, and I remember most) and some we still have today (walkup DQ, Long John Silver, Arthur Treacher's). Fun list though, I feel sorry for the kids these days - it's all screens.
